Disintegrating training ammunition for firearms



g- 29, 1967 w. JUNGERMANN ETAL 3,338,167

DISINTEGRATING TRAINING AMMUNITION FOR FIREARMS Filed Oct. 21, 1965 United States Patent DISINTEGRATING TRAINING AMMUNITION FOR FIREARMS Werner Jungermann, Karlsruhe, Baden, Rudolrf Niemann, Muellheim, Baden, Ludwig Six, Karlsruhe, Baden, and Willi Walther, Joehlingen, Baden, Germany, assignors to Industrie-Werke Karlsruhe Aktiengesellschaft, Karlsruhe, Baden, Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed Oct. 21, 1965, Ser. No. 499,636

Claims priority, application Germany, Dec. 24, 1964,

4 Claims. (Cl. 102-921) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In abstract form, the invention consists of a safety practice projectile constructed of two parts including a base member and a spitzer-shaped nose member formed of thin gilding metal and connected by mutually engaging conical contact surfaces tapering forwardly and outwardly in the direction of projectile travel so that the projectile will disintegrate immediately after leaving the muzzle of the weapon in which it is used.

The invention relates to training ammunition and particularly relates to a projectile comprising an elongated disintegrating bullet formed of a front part and a rear part between which is enclosed a core of metal powder whereby the connecting contact surface of the front part and the rear part is formed in such a manner that its sectional line in cross section may be a straight line inclined toward the center axis, somewhat similar as shown in the U.S. Patent No. 3,170,405 issued on Feb. 23, 1965.

It is the object of the present invention to increase the safety of the conical connection between the front part and the rear part of the bullet. This is achieved by arranging the conical connecting contact surfaces in such a manner that their diameters increase gradually toward the tip of the bullet, or in other words, by causing the conical contact surfaces to converge toward the rear end of the bullet, whereby the largest diameter is disposed in front or at least partly in front of the guide collar provided on the bullet, and in that the rear part of the bullet has no other connecting fissure leading to the chamber in which the metal powder core is contained. By this construction it is made sure that the conical connecting contact surfaces which constitute at the same time the closure or seal between parts of the bullet are not subjected to the high pressure and hot gases of the propulsive charge. In fact, the invention prevents an accidental opening or separation of the two parts of the bullet under the infiuence of the propulsive gases and that the projectile disintegrates prematurely, i.e. before it has left the barrel of the firearm.

It is another object of the invention to provide a projectile which disintegrates immediately after leaving the barrel of the firearm, and not a projectile which disintegrates on hitting a target.

The invention will now be discribed in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the projectile, the two parts of which are connected along a conical surface which converges toward the rear end of the projectile, and

FIG. 2 is a modification of the projectile according to the present invention in which the connecting conical surfaces are disposed entirely within the guide collar of the projectile.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawing, the hollow nose part 1 of the projectile is connected with the open for- 3,338,167 Patented Aug. 29, 1967 ice ward end of the hollow cylindrical base part 2 of the projectile by means of mutually engaging conical surfaces 1a, 2a. The rear end of the base part 2 is closed by a wall 5. The chamber formed between the two hollow parts 1 and 2 is completely filled by three axially aligned metal powder cores 3, 3a and 31). A cylindrical collar 4 which with respect to the larger diameter of the conical surfaces In and 2a of the cone is positioned rearwardly, projects outwardly from the projectile, preferably from the hollow base member 2. Viewed from the bottom 5 of the projectile the conical contact surfaces 1a, 2a are located forwardly.

In the modified construction of the projectile as shown in FIG. 2 the conical contact surfaces 1a, 2a are positioned completely in the guide collar 6. Thereby is ensured that the mutually engaging surfaces are particularly long and therewith the seal is especially good and reliable. Both projectiles, that of FIG. 1 as well as that of FIG. 2, are inserted in the cylindrical neck 9 of a cartridge 7 and are secured therein.

The rounded tip portion 10 of the hollow nose part 1 is provided with a wall thickness which gradually increases toward the tip 11 and the inner wall of the tip is provided with a central recess 8 so as to resiliently cushion any impact on the tip.

On firing the projectile the hot and high pressure gases exert their pressure against the bottom 5 of the projectile and drive the projectile forward. Thereby the riflings of the barrel wall dig themselves into the guide collar 4 and 6, respectively, and this results in an especially strong and effective sealing oil of the propulsive gases. It has proven to be of advantage to make the guide collar at least 10 mm. wide, better even would be a width of 12 to 15 mm. In such a construction practically no propulsive gases are able to reach the conical joint.

What we claim is:

l. A projectile for training ammunition comprising an elongated disintegrating bullet formed of two parts, one part consisting of a hollow cylindrical base member closed at one end and open at its other end, said last named other end being provided with an inner conical surface converging toward said closed end, the other part of said bullet consisting of a hollow nose member provided with a hollow cylindrical portion of the same exterior diameter as said base member, said hollow cylindrical portion having its open end provided with an exterior conical surface which engages tightly the inner conical surface on said hollow cylindrical base member, said inner conical surface on said hollow cylindrical base member being formed in an outwardly projecting cylindrical collar formed on said bullet, said cylindrical collar covering in axial direction the entire axial width of said engaging conical surface, said united base member and nose member providing a single chamber therein, and said conical surfaces on said base member and hollow nose forming mutually engaging conical surfaces which are tapered forwardly and outwardly in the direction of projectile travel, and core means formed of metal powder having the shape of said chamber contained in said chamber, whereby the thin leading conical edge of said base member will be expanded by the air drag thereon when the projectile is discharged from a weapon.

2. A projectile according to claim 1, in which the wall thickness of the closed tip portion of said hollow nose member gradually increases toward the tip of said hollow nose member and that the inner wall of said tip is provided with a cylindrical recess.

3. A projectile for training ammunition comprising an elongated disintegrating bullet formed of two parts, one part consisting of a hollow cylindrical base member closed at one end and open at its other end, said last named other end being provided with an inner conical surface converging toward said closed end, the other part of said bullet consisting of a hollow nose member provided with a hollow cylindrical portion of the same exterior diameter as said base member, said hollow cylindrical portion having its open end provided with an exterior conical surface which engages tightly the inner conical surface on said hollow cylindrical base member, said conical surfaces on the base member and open end of said nose member forming mutually engaging conical surfaces tapered outwardly and forwardly in the direction of projectile travel, said inner conical surface on said hollow cylindrical base member being formed in an outwardly projecting cylindrical collar formed integrally with said hollow cylindrical base member, said united base mem- 15 her and nose member providing a single chamber therein, and core means formed of metal powder having the shape of said chamber contained within said chamber,

whereby the thin leading conical edge of Said base member will be expanded by the air drag thereon when the projectile is discharged from a weapon.

4. A projectile according to claim 1, in which the axial width of said cylindrical collar is at least 10 millimeters.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,146,712 9/1964 Maurer et a1. 1024l 3,170,405 2/1965 Jungermann et a1. l02-41 X FOREIGN PATENTS 577,930 6/1946 Great Britain.

621,280 1/1961 Italy.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT F. STAHL, Examiner. 

1. A PROJECTILE FOR TRAINING AMMUNITION COMPRISING AN ELONGATED DISINTEGRATING BULLET FORMED OF TWO PARTS, ONE PART CONSISTING OF A HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL BASE MEMBER CLOSED AT ONE END AND OPEN AT ITS OTHER END, SAID LAST NAMED OTHER END BEING PROVIDED WITH AN INNER CONICAL SURFACE CONVERGING TOWARD SAID CLOSED END, THE OTHER PART OF SAID BULLET CONSISTING OF A HOLLOW NOSE MEMBER PROVIDED WITH A HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL PORTION OF THE SAME EXTERIOR DIAMETER AS SAID BASE MEMBER, SAID HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL PORTION HAVING ITS OPEN END PROVIDED WITH AN EXTERIOR CONICAL SURFACE WHICH ENGAGES TIGHTLY THE INNER CONICAL SURFACE ON SAID HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL BASE MEMBER, SAID INNER CONICAL SURFACE ON SAID HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL BASE MEMBER BEING FORMED IN AN OUTWARDLY PROJECTING CYLINDRICAL COLLAR FORMED ON SAID BULLET, SAID CYLINDRICAL COLLAR COVERING IN AXIAL DIRECTION THE ENTIRE AXIAL WIDTH OF SAID ENGAGING CONICAL SURFACE, SAID UNITED BASE MEMBER AND NOSE MEMBER PROVIDING A SINGLE CHAMBER THEREIN, AND SAID CONICAL SURFACES ON SAID BASE MEMBER AND HOLLOW NOSE FORMING MUTUALLY ENGAGING CONICAL SURFACES WHICH ARE TAPERED FORWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY IN THE DIRECTION OF PROJECTILE TRAVEL, AND CORE MEANS FORMED OF METAL POWDER HAVING THE SHAPE OF SAID CHAMBER CONTAINED IN SAID CHAMBER, WHEREBY THE THIN LEADING CONICAL EDGE OF SAID BASE MEMBER WILL BE EXPANDED BY THE AIR DRAG THEREON WHEN THE PROJECTILE IS DISCHARGED FROM A WEAPON. 